Railway safety appliance



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Nov. 8, 1927. C. H. GAGE RAILWAY SAFETY APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 2, 1925 mire CHARLES H. GAGE, or wAsniNGTon, nIs'rn-rc'r on constrain, ssrenon T Linn w. enemies AND WILIJAM n. BITER, BOTH or wnsnrneron, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA, AND WILLIAM a r'nison, or cirrisrn's, PENNSYLVANIA, TRUSTEES.

RAILWAY SAFETY APPLIANCE.

' Application filed December This invention relates to a railway crossing guard or gate. 7

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character, which is strong, and is adapted to cliecktlie travel of a rapidly traveling automobile, with the least injury to the automobile and the device. Q

' A further object of the invention is to provide a railway crossing guard so constructed that a plurality of yielding opposing forces 'are applied to the travelingvehicle, when contacting with the guard, to properly check the travel of the same.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which is simple in construction,

strong-durable and'not liable to disarrangement. 7

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description. In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a railway crossing guard embodying my invention, and, p

' Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views and in the specification, in which I provide: A standard 2, which comprises a channel beam bent at its ends, as at 3 and 4, into respective uprights 5 and 6, which channel beam is provided with its flanges extending downward along its base portion and outward along its upright portions, and the base portion 7 of which is embedded ,within the roadway.

'Mouiited within the bent portions 3 and 4, at theends of the channel beam 2, are cross channel beams 8' and 9,1Vl110h' cross channel beams are connected at their terminals by channel beams 10 and 11, the channel beams 10 and 11 being likewise embedded within the roadway and the whole being suit ably welded together-or afiixed together as by bolts 12. Pivotally mounted inthe upright 5 between the flanges of the channel beam is a weight 13, carried by a shaft l4.

"Extending through the weight 13 are the terminals of a gate 15, the: gate 15 being a ezsj Serial no; 72,688.

formed from aupri-ght 6 is provided at its upper portion with a concave plate 17, adapted to prevent a sharp edge contacting the arcuate end 16 of the gate, the gatecomprising side portions 17 and 18.

the web of the-upright 5, thereby bringing any stress upon the gate and consequent stress upon'the Weight, against the-web ratherthanup'on the bearing 14, and the terpiece of high grade spring alloy, preferably of the nature of piano wire which has a suitable yield 'and high tensile o strength, and a resistance to impacting shocks; which wire'15'is bent intermediate its ends as at 16, in the form of an arc, and which when in its lowermost position will embrace the upright 6 of the beam 2, which minals of the wire 15 are inserted within 3 the practically solid weight member 13 by passing, therethrough and being suitably Welded, so that any longitudinal or side stress will not sheer the wire terminals at their point of junction with the weight 13.

The end-'16 is so "spaced and arranged rela-, tive to the upright 6 that upon the impact of a car striking the side 1' 7, of the gate, that the side 17 will yield with a spring or 'bufier like'action until it reaches the side 18; .and when the traveling car engages the side or garin 18, it will yieldingly oppose the travel of the same, and-both arms 17 and 18 will ultimately function tostop the car. 7

By reason of the round shape of the wire 15 and its small diameter, not only is the weight of the gate materially reduced, but

snow, ice, and weather conditions will have no appreciable influence upon its operation, and'the area of thetop ofvthe weight '13 is designed to be substantially that ofthe lodgment area ofthe wire 15, so that in the casev of a heavy fall of snow, any of the snow lodging upon the gate will be counterbalanced and will'not therefore interfere with the effective operation, By reason of the wide, skeleton base formed by the member 2, the cross members 8 and 9 and the connecting members 10 and 11, thesame being embedded within the roadway, an impact-of a car traveling athigh velocity, against the.

gatep will be with a portion of the car over the member 10, so that it will be practically impossible for the car to tip the gate; and

in the event of a terriflic impact, any sliding of the whole frame will in no manner interfere with the operation of the gate. The side elements 17 and 18 are preferably encased for a short distance within a cushioning element 20, which is preferably an ordinary rubber hose for outdoor use. The top of the upright 6 is provided with a point or guide 17 which point serves as aguide for the gate, that is to say; should the gate become slightly sprung or be vibrating in its downward passage, the taper top 17 will automatically align it and cause it to pass over the upright 6, into the proper position. The resilient wire or rod being bentr'upon itself, provides the spaced arms'or rods 17 and 18, whichare resilient. These rods are suitably stitf so that they are self-supporting against undue bending due to their. own =we1ght. Further, there is no rigid support- .ing means arranged between the arms 17 and l 18 and hence when thetraveling vehicle conta'cts with one arm 17 thisarm is'fiexed laterally, serving to yieldingly oppose the travel of the vehicle, which engages the arm 18 in succession, whichv exerts a further yielding opposing action of the traveling vehicle.

sure, is removed therefrom, they will ordi-' narily return to their normal position, and. the guard will notbedestroyed or rendered inoperative, in the stopping of the vehicles, underordinaryconditions.

It-is thusseen that the two arms will function in succession to oppose thetravel of the vehicle. Since these arm's are. resilient, when struckbya vehicle, and after the pres- The guard israised-and lowered by turn ing the shaft 14. Tlns may be turned by any suitable. means. 'OlillIDSZ 1. In railway cross ng guard, a generally U-shaped anchor member having upstand ing posts, a gate member pivotally mounted upon one post and having a part to embrace the other post; 1 i V a 2. In railway, crossing guard,.a generally U-shaped anchor member having'upstanding posts, a movable gate member connected with one post and having a loop to embrace the other, post i and means to support the gate member so that it may be raised and lowered. v .3. In rallway crossing guard, a generally U-shaped anchor member having upstanding posts, a generally U-shaped. gate member .provided at one end with a socket adaptedv to embrace one post, and means pivotally supporting the opposite end of the gate member and connected with the other post.

l. A railway crossing guard comprising a gatermember including a resilient metal rod bent upon itself forming horizontally spaced. resilient arms and a loop at oneend thereof, a, pivoted support secured to the arms at the end thereof remote from said loop, said arms being self-supporting against undue bending due to their weight, and an anchor element arranged to be received within the loop. i a i I 5. A railway crossing guard, comprising a gate member including a pair ofla'terally spaced resilient arms,-means for supporting one end of the arms so that said arms may be raised and lowered, said arms being substantially self-supporting against undue bending due to their weight, an anchor ele ment spaced from the supportingmeanaand means for effecting a detachable locking connection between the opposite ends of the arms and the anchor element when said arms are lowered.

G. Arailway crossing gate for obstructing the passageway of vehicles, comprising a gate member embodying 'ajpair of laterally spaced resihent rode, a support secured to one end of the rods, the rod which is the nearest to acolliding vehicle having its intremediate portion permenently laterally -flexible in the direction of, travel of such vehicle, the rods returningto the normal position upon the removal of the lateralpressure due to the vehicle, aloop carried bythe opposite ends of the resilient rods and an anchor element arranged tobe received within the loop when said rods are lowered. r

7. A railway crossing ing the passageway of vehicles, comprising a gate member embodying a pair of laterally gate for obstructspaced resilient rods,: means for supporting.

one end of the rodsas that they may be raised and lowered, the intermediate portion of each rod being laterally flexible in" the direction of travel of a vehicle colliding with the same, said rod returnlng to the normal position upon removal'of the lateral pressuredue to the vehicle, an anchor position-ed near the opposite ends of the resilient rods, and means whereby thev ends of said rods and anchor may have detachable locked engagement when said rods are lowered; I r j 8. A railway crossing guard for obstructing the passageway of vehicles comprising a gate member which is self-supporting against unduebendmg due toits own weight,

or" the gate memberandmeans for effecting a detachable locking engagement between the adjacent end of the gate member and said anchor.

9. In a railway crossing guard, a pair of spaced upstanding members arranged upon opposite sides of the roadway, a connecting member extending across the roadway and rigidly connecting the upstanding members to retain them in the spaced relation, a gate member having connection with one upstanding member so that it may be raised and lowered, and means for effecting a detachable interlocking engagement between In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES H. GAGE. 

